Multi Parts Solutions has acquired HKX Inc., a Monroe, Wash.-based manufacturer of auxiliary hydraulic kits and control-system solutions for excavators and other heavy equipment.
The acquisition moves MPS into the construction equipment market and establishes HKX as its third operating division, alongside ACC Heavy Duty for commercial vehicles and MPS Automotive for the automotive aftermarket. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
HKX, Hydraulic Kits for Excavators, has spent more than three decades building a respected, engineering-centric business around install-ready kits that let machines run attachments, such as breakers, thumbs shears and rotating tools. As machines have moved from mechanical pilot controls to electro-hydraulic and CAN-based systems, HKX has developed the ability to add or augment controls within a machine’s own electronics, so that upgraded equipment operates seamlessly and without error codes.
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For dealers, equipment owners and OEMs, the day-to-day experience with HKX will not change. What changes is what HKX can now draw on. Customers gain access to broader engineering resources for more types of components, a deeper bench for new product development and the support to keep both new and aging equipment productive for years to come.
“HKX is an engineered-solutions business, which is exactly what Multi Parts Solutions is across every market we serve,” says Brian Cohn, CEO. “We are inheriting a talented team known for responsiveness, application-focused engineering and dealer collaboration, highly aligned with the same values we try to live every day at MPS of trustworthiness, teamwork and innovation. Our focus is straightforward: invest in HKX so the team can develop more products, support more customers and scale what already makes the business great.”
MPS brings global engineering, sourcing, testing, manufacturing and quality capabilities, along with its proprietary Sigma development process, to help HKX grow faster. HKX contributes the application knowledge, controls integration expertise and dealer network it has built since 1993. That combination opens the door to working with additional equipment manufacturers and dealer groups seeking an engineering partner for specialized applications and attachment integration. The acquisition strengthens the broader MPS organization as well, the company says, where hydraulic and controls expertise applies well beyond construction equipment.
“Joining MPS gives HKX additional resources and capabilities while preserving the customer-first discipline that has defined this company,” says Robert Burnett, vice president and general manager of HKX. “Dealers, OEMs and equipment owners can expect the same committed, expert support from the same team, now backed by greater resources for growth, innovation and long-term investment.”
